The Horse Tamer Series Blog – Episode 5: Grace & Bella

“What I want people to understand is the way a horse feels, thinks, acts and plays is way different than the way we humans see the world.”   Pat Parelli 

Horsemanship is so much more than just saddle up and get on, and a little Quarter Horse mare named Bella is living proof of this.  Her story unfolds in a very special episode of Pat Parelli’s brand new TV series, The Horse Tamer.   

In September of 2024, Pat Parelli released his expertise to an even broader audience with the launch of The Horse Tamer, a series now streaming on Tubi, Amazon Prime, and Apple TV+. In this captivating 8-episode season, Parelli works one-on-one with horse owners facing significant behavioral challenges, offering insights and techniques that highlight his four-decade commitment to building love, language, and leadership between horse and rider.

Each episode in The Horse Tamer introduces a unique partnership in need of Pat’s guidance.  Over the next few weeks we’ll be introducing you to our cast and crew, the special horses, owners and trainers who make up the beloved characters in this one-of-a-kind equestrian series.  

Episode 5 brings us Grace and her lovely Quarter Horse mare Bella.  Grace bought Bella particularly for riding, but Bella’s resistance to being ridden and her prickly, unpredictable attitude have left Grace doubting her dream.

So how does Pat get to the heart of Bella’s behavior?  He starts at the very beginning with the Parelli Colt Starting blueprint which follows these principles: 

Accept the human - as a friend and a leader

Accept the saddle - both placement and the cinch

Accept the rider

Accept the bit (the guider)

In other words, Pat doesn’t just start by saddling up and getting on.  He begins by exposing Bella to different things in order to see what unsettles and concerns her.  As he uncovers her areas of unconfidence, he then uses the Parelli Seven Games to ensure that all he asks her to do can be done with Rhythm, Relaxation, Willingness, and Understanding.  It is so important to discover that horses can “do” a lot of things, but if these other qualities are missing, eventually both the horse and human are going to run into trouble.  

Part way through the session, Pats turns to Grace and asks, “Can you feel her starting to think?”  This is pivotal.  This is the moment Bella begins to operate not as a prey animal out of flight or fight but by using the partnership, thinking side of her brain.  But the session is far from over.  

Bella still has to overcome her claustrophobic, reactive feelings with the cinch.  And as Pat shares, it just takes time.  Thankfully in the hands of a master, this timeline is greatly accelerated, but Pat still takes the time it takes to ensure Bella’s confidence in him as a friend and a leader is preserved.  As he reminds us, all horses are born skeptics, cowards, claustrophobics, and panic-aholics by nature in varying degrees.  

One of the highlights in this episode is the discovery of the connection between Bella’s claustrophobic reaction to not only the cinch and riding, but also to being tied up.  As Pat artfully wraps the ropes around the trees and allows Bella to feel the restriction and think through the pressure, he’s laying the foundation for her acceptance of him as a rider. 

Can she think and not react?  This is the question, and Pat asks it in a variety of ways to ensure that Bella is thoroughly prepared on the ground prior to riding.  As Pat says, he wouldn’t ride a horse that doesn’t pass these tests, just like he wouldn’t fly in an airplane that hadn’t passed its pre-flight checks.  

This is not-so-common horse-sense.  But in all honesty, it makes very good sense.  It’s prior and proper preparation, so that Grace and Bella can live their best horse life together. 

This concept drills all the way down to the smallest details such as how Bella is breathing.  If it's tight, it’s not right, and this episode gives you the privilege of seeing trust and understanding unfold right before your very eyes.  Bella goes from operating in an over-reactive self-preservation mode to responding with willingness and understanding.  This is re-naturalization in its finest form. 

So share with your family and friends, whether they are horse owners, horse lovers or just looking for a good TV program.  This is clean, kid and animal friendly, edu-tainment at its finest.  Gather your two legged and four legged family close and settle in for some great Horse TV, now streaming live for free on Tubi and and also available on Amazon Prime and Apple TV+!